


Sealed with a kiss

by justanotherpipedream



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Established Relationship, Fluff, Human Tony Stark, M/M, Selkie Bucky Barnes, Selkies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28931202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherpipedream/pseuds/justanotherpipedream
Summary: Tony rushes to greet his selkie mate Bucky, coming home after a long mission away at sea.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 13
Kudos: 126
Collections: Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020





	Sealed with a kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wonderlandgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandgirl/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Wonderlandgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandgirl/pseuds/Wonderlandgirl) in the [winteriron_winter_stockings_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020) collection. 



> For the 2020 Winteriron Winter Stockings, for the prompt 'Selkies (with a happy ending)'.

Tony shivered as he rushed up the windy path, the morning wind cool against his face. He could already hear Bucky’s chiding voice in his mind, telling him to go back and grab a sweater, but he was too excited. The lighthouse in the distance had already been extinguished, the sun already beginning its rise above the horizon.

“TONY!”

Tony increased his speed. He spared a quick glance behind him but didn’t stop moving. He felt a twinge of guilt as he saw Clint curse, clearly still half asleep as he chased after him. Natasha was just ahead of the archer as she moved towards him. She shook her head with a quirk of her lips, leaning forward a bit to increase her speed even more. Tony grinned back before turning back around to keep going. 

In her human form, Natasha usually beat him whenever they’d race to the beach. Today, Tony had a head start and he wasn’t about to waste it. 

He could hear her yelling back to Clint. “If you had woken up the first time I tried to wake you up, then you wouldn’t be sprinting now.”

Clint yelled back, but Tony missed what he said as the wind picked up. He breathed in the familiar smell of salt getting stronger and stronger as he continued his climb. Seagulls screeched and greeted each other as they took off into the sky above. As he neared the edge of the sand, he squinted into the water. 

With seaweed and debris washing into shore, it was hard to spot anything in this light. However, after a few more minutes, he could see them. Dark shapes drew closer and closer, slowly but steadily. With this distance, Tony wouldn’t be surprised if they arrived in the next ten minutes.

Tony sighed in relief. He got here in time.

Catching his breath, he bent over to shrug off his sandals. The sand was cold between his toes, but Tony didn’t care.

His vision went dark as something dropped over his head.

“I know you’re excited but next time wake me up first. I know Clint might not look like much-”

“HEY!”

“-but Bucky still assigned us to guard you until he returned.”

Tony pulled the cloth off his head. It was his warm shawl he tossed off this morning before he sprinted out the door. Natasha stood in front of him, her eyebrows raised.

“Sorry Tasha, I know I was just-”

“Excited. I know. We all are. But if something had happened to you, Bucky would have our heads.”

Tony exhaled but nodded. He jumped back a bit as a panting Clint collapsed onto the sand beside them. He glared up at them, clutching Tony’s coat to his chest. “I hate you both.”

Natasha shook her head. “Just be lucky Steve was not around. If he had seen how slow you were up the path, he would make you run like that every morning until you stopped complaining about that.”

Tony snorted. “He’d be running forever.”

Natasha laughed. “Exactly.”

Clint groaned. “Probably. He’d make me swim laps too.”

A splash had Tony glancing back towards the water.

Bucky, Steve, Carol and Sam swam into view, the selkies barking in greeting at them as they approached. With a flash, Bucky stood up in his humanoid form, shaking the water from his face as he grinned. “Hey there.”

Tony sprinted towards his mate, throwing his arms around his neck as Bucky bent down to meet him, sweeping Tony up into his arms. Even just climbing out of the water, Bucky was just as warm as Tony remembered him. 

“Missed you.”

Bucky pressed his nose into Tony’s hair with a contented sigh. “Missed you too starfish.”

He rubbed his hands up and down Tony’s arms with a frown. He shook his head when Tony tugged the shawl off, offering it to him. Instead, he wrapped it back around Tony’s shoulders, layering his pelt over top. He tugged it tightly around Tony with a furrowed brow. “You’re gonna catch a cold one day. Did you give Clint and Nat a good chase?”

Tony wrapped the pelt around him with a grin. It always amazed him how it was somehow always instantly dry after Bucky transformed back into his human form. “Maybe. I’m sure Steve will be happy about it. I got Clint running out of bed before three cups of coffee.”

Bucky groaned. “Please bubble, for my sake. Let Nat know where you’re going when I’m gone-”

“I know,” said Tony. He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I was just so excited-”

“Hydra’s out there, still hunting us down. And if anything ever happened to you-”

Bucky pressed his hand over Tony’s heart, his palm flat against his chest. His eyes pleading. “We’ve already lost so much. I’m sorry if I’m being overbearing but, I can’t lose you too. I just  _ can’t _ .“

“I know,” whispered Tony, “I’m sorry too.”

It was times like this that annoyed Tony about being Bucky’s very squishy, human mate. He did what he could to help out. He created them some new armour, and found ways to make their search for Hydra hideouts easier. But he couldn’t but feel a bit useless as he watched them swim away mission after mission, leaving him behind.

“You’d be given guards regardless of whether you were selkie or human,” explained Bucky, the first time he’d left on a mission.“As my mate, you’d be their first target.”

Bucky had gathered Tony’s hands in his, squeezing them gently. “They guard you not only because you are the clan leader’s mate, but because you are one of us. Sam might not have survived the last fight if it wasn’t for your net trap. Steve was able to save Kamala because of your shield you made for him.”

Bucky ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “Let them protect you, as you protect them.”

“Okay,” agreed Tony with a whisper.

The sound of laughter further down the beach pulled Tony back to the present. Clint was gesturing wildly with his arms, explaining something to the larger group who laughed as he told his tale. Tony pulled back slightly from Bucky’s arms, eyeing his mate up and down.

“Not that I don’t enjoy the view, but aren’t  _ you  _ getting cold without any clothes on?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, but pulled on the t-shirt and shorts that were tossed aside earlier. “Isn’t that why you agreed to be my mate? So I could be your portable furnace?”

“Of course,” nodded Tony solemnly, ”gave me your pelt and everything, so you’re stuck with me. Forever doomed to warm my cold toes at night when I press them against your legs-”

Bucky chuckled as he drew Tony back in for another kiss, “I knew it. But, I missed holding you close at night. Even your freezing toes-”

Tony laughed as Bucky continued to press kisses against his face. Tony’s eyes softened. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Bucky arms were warm as they tightened around him. “No place I’d rather be.”


End file.
